Where does “wailment” come from?
wailment (English) comes from English wail, from German weilen, from Middle High German wīlen, from Middle High German mit, from Old High German mit, from Proto-West Germanic midi, from Proto-Germanic midi, from Proto-Indo-European meth₂ — in the middle of, near, by, around, with.
wailment (English): Lamentation; loud weeping; wailing
Definitions
- Lamentation; loud weeping; wailing
Ancestry of “wailment”, step by step
wailment traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English wail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wail | To cry out, as in sorrow or anguish; To weep,... |
| 2 | German | weilen | To be, be present somewhere; To linger, spend... |
| 3 | Middle High German | wīlen | formerly |
| 4 | Middle High German | mit | — |
| 5 | Old High German | mit | with |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | midi | with, by, through; along, together; middle, mid |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | midi | with, by, through; along, together |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | meth₂ | with |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | mé | in the middle of, near, by, around, with |